Sunday, January 29, 2012

Squishing My Fear Of Squash

I have been a carb and sugar junkie for at least 40 years.
Mac and cheese was my go to food to solve anything from a broken fingernail to a broken heart.
I was so hooked on noodles, pasta, and rice it was killing me...one bite at a time.
But now that I am 45 I am beginning to grow up to be a smart human.
I am learning to make choices of food that come from nature and not a factory.
But hell...I wanted pasta...I wanted it with cheese and butter...and more cheese.
I had read about spaghetti squash before, but...ewwww!
It's a vegetable.
I am committed to staying on the whole, clean food approach to life, so I gave it a whirl.
Last night I cracked open my first spaghetti squash.
I do mean cracked. That thing took ten minutes with an electric knife to get hacked apart the right way. It looked just like a pumpkin inside, smelled like one too.
I cleaned out the seeds (washed them for roasting later), salt and peppered it and roasted it face down on parchment for one hour.
I took a recipe from Pinterest that I liked, followed it, and low and behold...one more vegetable I am willing to eat...no...wanting to eat!
It was great.
I enjoyed this first one just like I would have with carb loaded pasta, with sauce and a bit of parm cheese.
Next time I am going to have my batch of spaghetti squash with pesto, diced tomatoes, and black olives.
I hope you try a new food this week and love it too

2 comments:

  1. Hurrah, I can comment :-)
    We eat spaghetti squash too, and my husband figured out a great way to avoid the hacking the hard-as-a-rock squash with a big knife thing. Take a 2 - 3 lb. spaghetti squash and stab it many times with a fork. Put it in the microwave and cook for 4 - 6 minutes. THEN it's much easier to cut in half. Remove the seeds, put a little water in a pan (a glass pie plate works well) put one half cut side down and microwave 3 - 5 min. Repeat with the other half. We like it with extra meaty tomato sauce on it, or sauteed onions, chopped cooked turkey and broth. My husband also adds cheese to his. I wish I could too.
    Nancy in Oregon

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    1. Nancy...you might have just saved my fingers!
      I never thought to put it in the microwave first.
      I had an extra huge one this last time and swear it took twenty minutes (with and electric knife mind you) to crack it open.
      Do you ever have to wring one of your squash out? I have had a few of them that come out pretty damp. I have to put the squashy strands in cheesecloth and wring it out over the sink before I use it in a recipe.
      It seemed weird to me but I am new to this veggie's ways :)
      Sarah

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